Reynard's Chronicles
by Wilmi
Summary: Reynard's life is changing. Born to follow the legacy of the Dark Lord, he is forced into a world he doesn't want to be a part of. Join him as he is sent away to Zeus Academy, where he struggles with these changes and become something he never thought he would be.
1. Prologue

_Hey there new and old readers! I am embarking on a quest to write a new story and I hope you guys will like it! This story is all about Reynard, an OC in the 'Gohan, the Untold Story' series. If you haven't read them yet, go to my profile and check them out! :D _

_I will be updating this story once a week, so be on the lookout! _

_Oeh, and don't forget to review after you read this chapter… Feedback, good and bad (!), are a writer's best friends! So I am counting on you guys leaving me with responses! _

_Okay, I guess I have nothing else to say, so happy reading! _

_Wilmi _

**REYNARD'S CHRONICLES**

**PROLOGUE**

"I just need you to sign these consent forms, then you can be on your way." My supervisor looked up at me and grinned, his brown eyes playful as he signed his initials at the bottom of each page meticulously.

"I can go home." I said softly, more as a happy realization to myself than to him.

He chuckled and handed the stapled up pages to me. "I know you have been looking forward to this day for months."

I eagerly grabbed the black ball-point pen from his hands. The navy exterior of the writing utensil was engraved with Zeus Academy's logo in gold: a lightning bolt with a griffon behind it rising from flames, the whole image was circled by a bright golden ring. I thought the design was horribly clichéd; I could literally name three other Training Academies in the Western Quadrant who also used a griffon as their main symbol, but who was I to question the creative innovation of a man who died hundreds of years ago? The founder of our institution himself, Christopher Yang, apparently was the first to suggest our "unique" code of arms, but I am sure all the principals of all the other institutions told their students the same thing.

"Months?" I uttered in disbelief. "Years actually sir." I scribbled my signature at the end of each page, not even bothering to read the form. It was simple enough. I was a senior student at the Academy now, and my seniority granted me the honour to leave the institution once a month for twenty-four hours. This would be the first time in all the eleven years I have been year, that I would be allowed the privilege to leave its soil, _without _persecution. I have been waiting for this moment for a really long time. "I have waited for this for years." I repeated.

I was not allowed to use my powers in this time period, unless in a case of attack.

I eagerly handed him the forms back as soon as I was done. He smiled and walked over to his overly large desk. It only held a small burning candle and a quill, so I couldn't comprehend the need for its excessive size. Maybe the rumours are true after all, maybe he really straddled troublesome students to his desk and beat them into submission as a method of discipline. I scoffed internally. _Please. _If that were really the case, I would have been in here every other week of my stay here. I put the _trouble_ in troublesome. Besides, Phil is a junior guardian, he doesn't have the authority to beat the living crap out of Zeus' students.

I followed him close by with my hands behind my back. I wanted to make sure that the form made it to its final destination without something happening to it. The candle on his desk burned quite suspiciously. I shot the ball of wax one of my most sinister stares. "Yes, I am talking to you, _candle." _I whispered almost inaudibly.

"What was that, Reynard?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, turning to look over his shoulder at me.

I flushed. "Oh nothing really sir, just talking to myself." I covered the fact that I was communication with something that couldn't communicate with me.

He chuckled and bent over to dip his quill in the inkpot. He jabbed the point in three times before signing the cover of the document with today's date. _09 March 1814. _"You know that is one of the first signs of mental deterioration?" He winked at me. "I'm going to have to have you committed."

I laughed. "I would be more worried if I was actually answering my own conversation, but then again, I need to have an intelligent conversation every now and then."

He smiled broadly, shaking his head softly at me. "You are definitely one of a kind."

"My first compliment of the day, and it's not even seven yet!" I exclaimed, looking at the big Grandfather's clock in the corner of the room.

He shot me a look as he walked over to a wooden cabinet next to his desk. I decided not to follow him this time; rather not be a nuisance to the guy who it sending you home, possible in the next ten minutes. "Let's hope it's your last one for the day, before you get even cockier."

I snickered. "It won't be."

He closed the cabinet's door with a bang and I jumped, not expecting the sudden loud sound. 

"Well then, it seems you are good to go." He smiled and gestured to the door. He waited for me to walk out of his office before he followed me, locking the door behind him; I must be his only case for the day. I tried to retain my excitement to some extent, but I couldn't tell my brain to quit with the whole 'skip in my step' feeling. I literally skipped to the centre of the courtyard, the only place they usually allowed portals, and waited for Supervisor Phil to catch up to me.

"I suppose you know the rules." His face was all business-like now.

I smiled. "I am familiar with them, yes."

He chuckled. "I am going to repeat the fundamentals just in case." He cleared his throat. "You are not allowed to display your powers, because you are not on school grounds and also not under supervision, but you may perform self-defence if needed." He shot me a particularly stern look. "Under no other circumstances."

I sighed, disappointed by the amount of trust he was displaying in me. I nodded. "I will keep that strongly in mind."

"Reynard." He warned, elongating my name for effect.

I rolled my eyes. "I promise not to bash a stranger's skull in for no apparent reason."

He sighed. "Better, I guess."

"Is there something else I _really _need to know, we are losing daylight here?"

He pondered. "Just remember that you only have _one_ day, you may spend the night outside the Academy, but I expect you back at noon Reynard."

"And if I fail to adhere of these simple rules?" I fluttered my eyelashes; he didn't seem to notice, or maybe chose to ignore it.

He smiled genuinely. "I am glad you asked." He replied perkily. "You will be beaten up to a pulp by all your peers and forced to heal naturally; no rejuvenation tank for you."

"You mean, the same punishment Werner got last month?" I gulped, the bloody images of his punishment still fresh in my mind. I was one of those who were instructed to "mess him up", as Principal Mackleberry called it. But I didn't exactly do as he told, instead I shot Werner some of my own Ki in a soft punch, but that just resulted in prolonging his torture. Next time I will just knock the poor bastard out cold.

"Yes." He answered in a monotone. "Do you think the rules are too difficult for you to follow?" He challenged.

I shook my head. "This is more time than I have had in years to go back home, so it's fine. I won't screw this up."

"Okay then, it's good to hear." He extended his open palm to the open space behind me as he created a portal. "This is a Memory Portal." He informed. "Just think about the location you want to go, and it will take you there." He took a step back and shot me a final smile. "Off you go!"

I hugged my supervisor; I don't really know why I did it, I have never done it before, and I could get in big trouble for establishing physical contact with someone of such a high status, but that didn't seem to hold me back. I could tell by the sharp intake of his breath that he was just as surprised as me by my abrupt gesture, but he returned it nonetheless, patting me on the back.

"Thank you sir." With that I let go and shot him a final salute before I stepped through the thundering portal, thinking of Darkhaven exclusively the entire time as I travelled at the speed of light through it. It felt as if I were going down an elevator really fast, but the moment passed quickly, and my nostrils were greeted by the smell of dried grass, slight air pollution and dirt.

I inhaled deeply, relishing in the local scent. _Home sweet home… _

I could feel the smile on my face very well. It was if a bright neon sign were plastered on my lips, screaming 'LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!' at the world. I closed my eyes and brought my face up to the shining sun, relishing in the free feeling of warmth and life of the giant fireball's rays on my face and body.

I was happy.

I opened my eyes again, but closed them as soon as a brisk breeze moved itself toward me, playing in my hair and galloping on my skin. The moment was brief, but the sensation lasted. "It's good to be back." I whispered to myself as I started walking again.

The landscapes were engraved in my memory and had barely even changed in slightly more than a decade I haven't walked on its twists and turns. I sped up my stride and started running through the familiar field with the tall strands of yellowed and dried up grass as my only audience, barely even noticing the sharp ends gnawing at my exposed calves. I just ran; as quickly as my two legs would allow me to reach my destination. I stopped in my tracks when the white painted house rose up in my view, standing fierce and proud, just like I remembered.

My smile broadened and my heart quickened with excitement. _After all this time... _

I placed my right foot in front of my left, then my left foot in front of my right. Slowly, I descended towards the place I called home for the first few years of my life. I clenched my hanging hands into fists next to my sides, and gasped as I realised they were empty. _Crap! I forgot flowers! It is unethical to greet a lady without an array of plants! _I mentally kicked my brain; how could I have been so stupid?! 

I frantically looked around and cursed aloud when nothing remotely colourful came into sight. Of course there are no flowers here. I knelt down just where I was, and snatched a random strand of grass from its root. I held it in front of my face, tilting and turning it left and right as I inspected its quality.

I pouted and shrugged as I got back on my feet again. It was as much a plant as flowers were. _It'll have to do. _

I continued my stride to the house and stopped as I reached the front gate. My hand hesitated on the lock of the rusty old gate as I stared idly at the once luscious front lawn. It was a mess now. Stray garbage lay strewn in the uncut grass, leaving gaps and holes that were very unsightly. The white paint on the walls started to chip off and the big tree in front of the house was all but dead; a real eyesore that caught one's eye instantly.

My finger moved absentmindedly, and I heard a sharp clicking sound followed by a screech as the gate opened. I kept my hand on the gate, steadying myself, but let go when it fell out of my reach after I walked up the cement pathway.

I couldn't explain why, but my happiness was gone, every trace of it, as if sucked in by a fathomless black hole. It was replaced by a feeling of unease. I followed the path to the front door, marvelling at its decay. I stood on the porch for a few seconds, just staring at the rust-filled round doorknob. I gulped as I cupped my palm around the knob. I pushed on the threshold but it didn't budge. I put more force behind my palm, but it stayed steady in its place.

I sighed and banged my fist against the withered door for three even knocks. I muted all my senses except for my hearing but could detect no motion inside or near the house. I frowned as I walked back the way I came from, walking through the still opened gate and not bothering to shut it behind me. It felt rude to just waltz into the house without invitation after all these years.

I paced back and forth on the pavement with my hands held at the back of my head as I thought. _Where could she be?_ My eyes lit up as I thought of the place she was more at than home.

The church! And it was just around the corner from here.

I looked down at my attire and grinned. I am sure my bright blue khakis and half buttoned check shirt wouldn't be much appreciated by the congregation, but I couldn't care less at the moment. All my mind was wrapped around, was the idea of seeing _her _again.

With my joints freshly oiled, I sprinted down the familiar street until I reached New Church road. It wasn't far from here. I started plotting up the first thing I will say to her when I see her and the joke I was going to make about her ageing appearance. How she will frown, but still hug me so tightly that I wouldn't be able to breathe. I wonder if she would even recognise me. It has been eleven years after all, and I am a lot taller than when I was when I was six!

The thought of seeing her fuelled my feet and I pushed forward faster than ever, using my strength to my advantage. I must have been a bare blur for the few pedestrians I noticed walking along the pavement; not that it was odd to see such a display of speed in this neighbourhood. I made the last turn at the end of the block and gasped, stopping so quickly that I almost fell.

_At first the smoke was all that filled my view, then a bright glint of __orange__. The fire screamed and I had to hold back a sob of my own as I watched the building up in flames. The __crackle__ of the white paint chipping was all I heard now. The church was going to be taken over by fire completely._

_I moved. I didn't know how, because I felt paralyzed, but I quickly obliterated the distance between me and the building in a few large strides. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead as the temperature rapidly rose. It sounded as if a hot, crackling wind was erupting between my ears in thick pulses. My heartbeat was pounding like a steel drum as I burst through the main doors of the building and dove for cover behind one of the benches at the back. I could see no people inside except for myself. I was alone._

As I turned around to look deeper into the building, I was blinded by flames that began to burst out of windows, glass flying down onto the pavement below. My scream choked in my throat. I scrambled backwards as far as my legs would take me before I collapsed, unable to catch my breath from the thick fumes of smoke. 

_I looked up to see that I was at the front of the church, where the pastor usually stood as he preached. The large Bible on the stand was still untouched by the fire, and my hands reached out for it as I saw a sting of red dancing demons racing toward it from the corner of my eyes. _

_As the flames licked tantalizingly at its cover, the Book did it's best to keep the flames at bay. It clung to its iron clasps in an effort to distract the blaze from the contents of its soul. Finally, when the flames discovered the ploy, they increased their bite, gnawing ever more incessantly at the book's innards._

Unable to withstand the excruciating heat any longer, the Book slammed its cover open in a word filled, silent scream. The book wailed in anguish as its deepest secrets were spilled like blood, never again to be uttered. And then it knew nothing but silent darkness, feeling itself fall apart in an irreversible way.

_Despite the pain and the shock, I was surprised to find that I could think incredibly clearly. My skin was tingling. It stung and stung with no end. My eyes burned from the smoke that filled the air and my lungs ached from lack of fresh air. I frantically glanced around, all I saw was flame. I could hear the crackling of the fire, yes, but louder than anything else was the pounding of my heart. It started beating faster and faster, until I wasn't sure if it was beating so fast it was a continuous hum or if it had stopped altogether. I looked at my hand; the skin was darkening. Watching it burn was almost as bad as feeling it. I was sure I would be dead in minutes, but I still couldn't help wondering how long I had been lying here burning. It couldn't have been long, but it felt like forever. Still, a glimmer of hope kept me thinking that it would stop soon. That I would live through this torture and everything would return to normal. It was then that everything went black._

My eyelashes flattered profusely as my vision came back to reality. I sighed, knowing that what I just experienced was a vision, but not a vision from the future; one of the _past_ that deemed to be true by the look of the scene in front of me.

The church was… gone.

All that was left of it was the charred remains of ash clinging to the once glorious foundation. The strand of grass escaped from my hand as I unclenched my fists. It floated away peacefully, in dire contrast with my raging turbulent mind.

My feet marched mechanically towards the chaos. I walked through the place where the door used to be and stood in the middle of the room. The fire must have been out for at least a couple of days, but my feet still burned as I stood on the charcoaled wood. There were no bodies or traces that there were any people here at the time of the destruction, but I knew that she had died here.

I knew _she_ was gone …

My gaze was fixed on the cracked foundation. I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails punctured my skin, causing blood to trickle down my palm. I broke my gaze free from the debris and turned it to the scorching sun, drying off the unshed tears from my eyes.

I forced myself to move away from the scene and used instantaneous movement mid-walk to teleport me back to the Institution. I had nothing left here, it was pointless to stay. I arrived in the quiet courtyard. I was a little past seven now, and everybody was probably eating breakfast in the hall, but I didn't have food on my mind right now. I marched over to Supervisor Phil's office, sensing his Ki inside the room.

I banged against the door a few times and waited 'till he opened it. At first an angry expression rested on his expression, but as soon as his eyes fell on me it turned to quizzical. He looked down at the portable watch on his wrist and frowned up at me.

"I didn't expect you back so soon." He stuttered. "You know you have twenty-four hours, and not twenty minutes. Go back."

He started to close his door but I stopped it with my foot. He shot me a worried look. "Reynard?"

"Give me the keys to the skills room please, I really need to punch something."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	2. Chapter 1: Growing Pains

**REYNARD'S CHRONICLES**

**CHAPTER ONE: GROWING PAINS  
**

The first time my father hit me I saw stars in front of my eyes just like they do in those cartoons in the newspaper. It was just a backhand across my face though – not like when I saw uncle Xane, my father's brother and Cousin Raphael's dad, wallop him so hard that when he hit the pavement, his head actually bounced. He did not bleed, but he screamed really loud. I didn't like him very much, but I also didn't think he deserved to get hurt like that, especially not by the hands of his dad… It was just cruel.

Anyway, I learned then and there that I should stay clear from my father after the fifth bottle cap hit the floor. Being angry a lot ran in the family after all, Auntie Fleur also took a whack at her children sometimes, and they were still in diapers! So I tried to stay away from home as much as I possibly could, away from my father, but stayed most of the time because of my mom. I could never get her to leave with me.

It was impossible to get lost in Darkhaven. That was where I lived; Darkhaven, in the province of Dysmere, part of the Dark Realm. I never quite understood why there had to be so many D's in the beginning of each word that described my home, but Mommy told me that it was just one of those things. We lived in Darwin Street, another D; just a few blocks away from the main street, New Church Road, even though the church that sits at the end of it wasn't new anymore.

I didn't really understand why a place like Darkhaven would even have a church to begin with, but Mommy went there a lot, and she took me with her once a week, every time on a Sunday. I could count all the people usually there on one hand. And even though few people went there, I liked it. I was excited to go every week, especially since my dad didn't ever go with us.

Our house was very big; it was three stories high and Dad made sure that we had a lot of servants who had to do everything we asked them to. Mom forbade me to ask them to do anything for me though; she didn't want me to get lazy, and she actually instructed me to help them around the house sometimes. She called it 'chores.' I didn't like it very much, but it seemed to make her happy, so I tried to do each 'chore' with a smile.

I lived here with my father, Wallick, my mother, Maria, and Richard, my dear friend that lived with us. Mommy tried to explain to me once that Richard wasn't really real, but that didn't make any sense. I could see him and hear him speak. He was real.

Richard and I were like the three Musketeers, only without a third member in our group. We did everything together. That was probably our favourite bedtime story.

Richard had really white skin and yellow hair, just like Mommy's. My skin was a little darker and my hair was the colour of fudge, neither as light as my mother's nor as dark as my father's. My hair changed colour depending on where I was standing and when. In daytime it almost looked yellow, but at night it was like the sand outside of our house.

When it was clean, Richard's hair was the colour of a cotton ball, white, and white, white. But it was usually dirty, looking like the dusty old letters Mommy kept in a shoe box under her bed.

But I wished that I could be more like Richard. I screamed when I saw a spider, but he didn't mind them. He even scoops them up in his hands and put them outside! I tell him just to step on them, but he doesn't listen to me. Richard isn't scared of anything. Except when my dad turns on Mommy. We both are scared then.

When that happens we go to behind-the-couch in the living room. It was like another room for me and Richard.

It was our fort.

We usually head there when we have counted ten bottle caps falling to the kitchen floor. My father usually started to bother Mommy after the tenth clank. I didn't know why she didn't just stay out of his way after the eight clank, but she never did. The bottles clank so hard sometimes that I think my head is going to explode.

I used to think that it was smelly behind the couch, but I didn't notice it anymore. I brought some of my mother's perfume behind here once, and sprayed it on the fabric, so now it smells like her on a Sunday morning.

It was Monday today, and Dad just got home from one of his hunting trips. He barely was home, and I could already hear the fifth clank of a bottle cap against the floor. Luckily I was already behind-the-couch with Richard.

"Do you think he is going to get angry at Mommy again?" I asked Richard in a soft voice.

"Probably." He said equally as soft. "He is angrier than usual when he gets home from one of those trips."

I nodded, that was true. "But as long as we stay here, we will be safe." I rubbed the sore spot on my arm without thinking. It has been almost two weeks since he last hit me, but the blue bruise was still there, and it hurt just as much as it did in the beginning.

I looked down at my blue and green striped notebook-cover. I picked it up gently and held it close to my mouth, my lips almost touched the crinkly cover of the book. "Agent Reynard Kronin reporting for duty." I whispered my notebook's password before I flipped through the pages. I knew there wasn't _really _a voice control lock on my book, but it was fun to pretend. I paged quickly through the book, until I found an open page. There wasn't many more left, and I had to remember to remind Mom to buy me a new one.

I stared down at my handwriting; compared to Mommy's, my letters were very big and hers were much neater too. Maybe someday my words will look exactly like hers.

Right after I clasped my pencil between my fingers, my notebook went flying out of my hands and onto the floor. My eyes went big. "Whoa!"

Something sharp grabbed at my wrist and pulled me up, only to throw me down on the floor again. I landed hard on my bum and cried out.

"Betcha didn't see _that _coming!" My father's mouth smelled like beer. He laughed at me as I scrambled to pick my notebook up before he could get ahold of it. "Must be something important, you grabbing at it like that." He went on. "Let me see it." He said loudly and pulled it out of my hands before I could make a squeak about it. He walked out of the room and out of the front door. I followed him to the porch.

"Give it back!" I yelled powerfully, not afraid of him.

"Petrova McGrath isn't talking to me anymore because of the frog incident, maybe I should use grasshoppers next time…" He read out loud and I felt how my cheeks started to get warm. He wasn't supposed to know that; it was _my _secret. He looked up from my notebook over to me. "What's the frog incident?" He laughed. "You misspelt every word but frog you idiot."

"Give it _back!" _I said again strongly, but when I went to try to get it back, he shoved me away. He kept flipping through the pages, scanning each one with his dirty finger.

"Where am I?" He smiled. "I can't wait to see what all you wrote about me. Hmm." More flipping. His face started to get red and his teeth were showing. "Mommy this, mommy that." His voice was very loud now. "But yet nothing about your dear old _dad_?!" He threw the book back down to the ground and I was so mad that I didn't listen to the voice in my head that said that I shouldn't reach down to pick it up until he left.

Just as I bent down again, he shoved me into the dirt with his smelly boot. "There!" He yelled. "That will give you something to write about." He spun around and walked away, and I heard him throw the front door shut with a loud bang. I lay there for another few minutes, staring at the dust settling around my body to pass the time. I wanted to make really sure that he was gone before I stood up again.

I ran up the porch steps, clutching my notebook close to my chest. I marched over to my mother; she was sitting alone in the sitting room, a book in her grasp and her reading glasses over her eyes. Dad must be upstairs by now.

"Mom!" I called with determination in my voice and stopped right in front of her.

She placed her finger as a bookmark between some pages and took her glasses off. Her bright green eyes looked sad. "Yes darling?" She asked, smiling at me. She was really the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. No one in town was as pretty as my mother.

"I don't like Dad." I stated. "He is just so… hateable!"

She frowned at me. "How can you say that?!" She sounded very upset, she even threw her book on the floor. I blinked quickly as I felt my eyes getting watery. I didn't like getting yelled at. I didn't like it at all. She didn't think I was funny, and sent me to my room.

Later that night when my dad was back picking on my mom, she yelled that no one liked him and that his own son called him hateable. When she said it, I just stood in my room with my ear pressed against my door. I just stood there, listening to the tick-tick-tick of the plastic robot clock that hung against my wall. It was very quiet now.

I peeked out of my room, staring into the empty hallway. Richard was gone now, I didn't know where he was. I guess I'll have to be brave alone. My blue doggie slippers was first out of the door and I balled my hands into fists as I dared to go out into the hall after my bedtime.

"Mommy?" I called unsurely, but my voice was very soft, I doubt if she heard me.

"Mother." I tried again; my voice was louder, stronger.

"In here sweetie."

I followed her voice and it led me to her bedroom. The door wasn't open, but it wasn't closed exactly either. I placed my hand on the wood of the door, I couldn't reach the handle just yet, and pushed on it.

The room was a mess. The bedside lamp lay on the floor now with all the broken pieces of bulb scattered around it. Clothes were also strewn everywhere and their closet doors hung wide open. In the middle of it all was my mom, sitting on her peach-coloured bed sheets. She was crying and she wiped her cheeks with her hands as I walked into the room.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, playing with my thumbs as I looked down at the floor. She always said she didn't want me to see her like this.

She sniffed really loudly, and all I could think about was how much litres of snot she just swallowed. "Everything is fine sweetheart." She said surely. "Come here."

I looked up again and saw her hold her hands out towards me, waving me forward. I smiled and eagerly ran up to her and sprang into her arms. She let out a happy breath and pressed me tightly against her chest as she rocked me backwards and forward.

My eyes widened when I saw a red splotch of goo on her wrist. "Mom, you are bleeding." I yelled in a squeaky voice.

"Oh this?" She asked and pulled the sleeve of her purple sweater down to cover it. "This is just a scratch; it's nothing really."

I pulled my head from under her warm arms and climbed off her lap. I was sitting in front of her on the bed now, my feet dangling off the matrass. "It isn't!" I said angrily and hit my fist against the bed, making the whole bed wobble a bit. "He has to stop hurting you; it is not fair!"

She smiled and that made my heart hurt, she was hurt but she still managed to look happy. She touched my face with the back of her hand and wiped some strands of hair away from my eyes. "He will never truly hurt me." She said with a softer smile, looking straight at me with her eyes that looked so much like the leaves on a tree we had in our front yard. It was my favourite tree. "Not with you here with me."

I sighed and looked down, jealous that she had my favourite colour for eyes. My eyes were just a plain grey, like Dad's, they looked like ugly rocks, not beautiful trees. "But you are bleeding." I said again; she _was _hurt.

She chuckled. "It will heal darling, don't you spend a single second worrying about me." She touched the tip of my nose with her finger and I couldn't help but giggle; it was a bit ticklish.

"Where is Dad now?"

Her face fell. "He went out; he will be back soon."

"Can't we lock the doors?" I asked. "He doesn't have to live here anymore. He isn't here half the time anyway."

She smiled again. "We can't do that to your father honey; this is his home too."

I wished he weren't my father. "He scares me Mommy."

She pressed me against her warm chest again. I hugged her back. "He scares me sometimes too, but we are strong." She held her hands on my shoulder and pulled me back. I looked into her kind green eyes. "You hear me Reynard? You are strong."

I nodded, even though I didn't feel very strong.

She wiped some more tears off her face. "Good." She smiled a toothy smile. "That's what I want to hear." She got up and walked over to her already open closet. She disappeared through the doors and came out with something in her hands. She laid it on the bed and I saw it was a black suit. My size.

She held it out in front of my body and tilted her head to the left as she looked at me. "Yeah, it looks like a proper fit." She replied happily and folded the suit up on the bed.

"Are we going to church?" I asked; it was the only place where I ever wore a suit.

She turned to me again. "No. You have to wear it when you are meeting your grandfather tomorrow." She said and bit her lip. "He is very… peculiar."

I frowned, feeling my forehead making wrinkles. "I have a grandfather?"

"You do." She smiled at me again. "You have two actually."

"I haven't seen him before."

"You have, when you were still a baby." She said with a frown. "But you would not remember that."

"I don't."

She looked at me strictly. "He isn't a very pleasant man sweetheart, you need to know that." She didn't smile anymore. "If I had a say in any of this, I would let you live a full life without ever seeing him." She looked at the blood on her hand. "But your father insisted; that's what we fought about now."

"Can't you go with me?"

"No way in hell." Just then my father waltzed into the room. He walked directly towards me and grabbed me by my pyjama shirt. He pulled me up to his height and I felt very scared again. My mother was screaming at him to let me go, but he ignored her, even pushed her to the floor when she tried to take me away from him herself.

"You have to learn what it means to be in this family." He said in a low voice. "You are already six; it has been long overdue." He shook me and the fabric of my shirt started to burn my skin. "You understand?"

I nodded and he let me go. I fell hard on the floor and my back really hurt. Tears flowed down my face and my father turned around to me again. He looked at me with an expression of disgust on his face, and then he kicked me. So hard that I thought I was going to die.

"Wallick!" My mother screamed and rushed over to my side. I was aware of her cool hands on my forehead, but everything else was blurry. "Was that really necessary?!" She sounded very angry and was standing in front of me now, her hands wide from her sides, as if she were shielding me.

"Of course it was!" He yelled at my mother. "He has to stop being so weak Maria, or else he will never survive in the industry." My father sneered and pointed at me. "If I see you crying again little Rey-Rey, I will give you something to cry about."

"How can you say that?!" My mother's voice was low but very dangerous. I wanted to get up, but she pushed me back down discreetly. "He is a child Wallick, a _young _being, not even old enough for school yet, and you want him to be part of your "hunting business" already?" She made some weird gestures with her fingers that I didn't understand.

"I was two years younger than he is now when my father sent me away."

Her eyes rounded, looking like two perfect eggs on her face. "You said nothing about taking him away!" Her voice was very loud now and I covered my ears with my hands to make her sound softer.

"It was implied." He said angrily. "All will be determined when Father arrives tomorrow."

"I will not allow _that man _to take our boy away!" She screeched. "Don't you care for him at all, he is your son!"

Dad rolled his eyes. "There's no need to tell me the biology of it Maria, I know." He looked down at me again, instead of pressing my face in the rug like always, I looked directly up at him. "I do care for the boy, but his fate is sealed, I cannot do anything about it." With that said he stormed out of the room.

Mommy sank down next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, it was shaking a little. "Honey, don't ever believe a word that comes out of that man's mouth."

"But it is true." I said quietly, not wanting to look into her eyes. "They want to take me away." I finally looked up at her again and her eyes were more clear than ever, sparkling with tears. "I don't even know why."

"Reynard look at me." She grabbed me by my chin roughly. "You are special, more than you might think, but know that I will never allow them to harm a hair on your head, never mind taking you away from me." She kissed me on my forehead. "You know that right?"

I nodded and she picked me up, carrying me back to my room. She tucked me in and kissed me on my cheek goodnight before she walked over to the door to switch the light off.

"Sleep tight sweetheart." She smiled at me warmly.

"Mommy?" I called.

She switched the light on again. "Yes sweetheart?"

"Can you read me a story please?"

She smiled and walked back to my race-car bed, sitting tightly next to me with her arm around my shoulder. "Three musketeers?" She guessed and I nodded. She smiled and ruffled my hair as she leaned over to reach for my favourite book, where I hid it under my bed.

She cleared her throat before she started reading. _"Porthos and his friends walked into the King's Musketeers' building. He grinned at a couple of ladies in waiting that they went past. "So the King didn't say why we've been summoned?" He asked."_ Mom made her voice deep. She always had other voices for each Musketeer.  
_  
""No, he didn't." Athos answered shortly. "His note just said it was urgent." Aramis sighed, nervously pawing his golden cross around his neck. "That's what he always says", His friends stared at him, surprised by his tone. "Are you all right?" Porthos asked. "Yes," the younger Musketeer merely answered. "I am just tired.""_

I yawned.

_"Athos and Porthos looked at each other. Indeed, they didn't even had time to rest properly between missions, and as themselves were always ready, they knew that the former priest could not sustain a cadence as dense as they did, and due to his frail body compared to theirs, he needed more time to rest."_ My mother took a breath and turned the page. _"Only a few months had passed since their triumph over the Duke of Buckingham. D'Artagnan had been admitted into one of the junior guards on a two year probation. Meanwhile the three inseparables went on some missions for the King together, all successful…"_ Her voice faded away until it was gone completely as I fell asleep.

The next morning my father woke me up, yelling and screaming at me until I dressed correctly in that suit Mom laid out for me. I wanted to wear my pyjamas instead, but Dad refused, and kept saying that I had to make a very good impression, whatever that meant.

"Reynard, get down here!"

Even though I didn't want to, I walked down the stairs when the doorbell rang its familiar tone. I tugged on the collar of my black buttoned-up shirt, and pulled at the blue tie. I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life. Was a suit and jacket really necessary in the middle of the summer?

My mother smiled at me as she met up with me at the bottom of the staircase.

"You are a very handsome boy Reynard." She complimented and ruffled my hair. "You will steal a lot of girls' hearts when you grow up."

I made a face. "Girls are gross Mom."

She laughed. "Except me right?" She winked.

I smiled. "Of course."

"Good, now get out there, your grandfather is waiting for you." She didn't sound very happy about it, but she smiled anyway. She placed her hands on my shoulders and led me to our foyer at the front door. A man I have never seen before sat on one of the single chairs. He was talking to Dad before he looked at me after Mommy cleared her throat loudly.

"Hello Reynard." He greeted friendly and stood up. He looked a lot like Father, except his hair was a shiny silver. His eyes looked like mine, grey, but his set had an orange glow about them. He also wore a suit like me, so I figured that we must be going to some place fancy. "I am glad to see that you have grown out of your diaper."

"Aren't you going to say hello to your grandfather Reynard?" Dad asked, sounding a little angry at me.

I looked up at my mother and she smiled at me, pushing me forward as to urge me toward the stranger who they said was family.

"Hey." I made my arm leap forward towards his, and hungrily grabbed on to it as I shook it roughly, just as my father had taught me. "It is really nice to meet you sir."

He chuckled and returned the shake. "The pleasure is all mine." He said pleased. "But please call me Grandfather, boy, after all, that is what I am to you."

I nodded. "Sure gramps."

He laughed again.

Dad shot me an angry look and I felt how freight spilled through my entire body.

"Excuse him Father, he has always been ill-mannered."

"He is nothing like what you always say him to be." My mother shouted, defending me. "He may look a lot like you, but he will _never _be anything like you!"

Dad frowned and grabbed on to her arm very tightly. He said something very softly in her ear, and I could see her face go white. I couldn't hear what he had said, but that didn't stop the goose bumps from popping up on my skin.

"No need to bicker in front of your child." Dad's dad broke in. "I find him quite charming Wallick. Our forces could use someone as charismatic as him."

Mommy gasped. "You are not suggesting that he becomes one of you, Vaughan."

"Maria!" Dad scolded.

"We will see about that." Grandfather played with his beard as he spoke. "Everything depends on his display of strength."

Mom fell to the floor on her knees and stared at her hands. "You will take him if he is powerful enough."

"It is in his blood dear, a legacy, you cannot deny him that."

She looked up into his eyes. "I am his mother and I can deny everything I damn please from him. He will not be taken away from me while he is still so young!"

His lip twitched up into a smile. "Even if so, it is not your choice to make." He moved to me again and smiled. "But let's not jump the gun, shall we?" He extended his hand towards me but I just stared at it, mesmerized by all the shiny jewels he had on at least every second one of his fingers.

"What?" I asked as I noticed everyone in the room staring at me.

"Have you ever heard of instantaneous movements, son?"

I shook my head. "What's that?" I asked curiously.

Grandfather shot an angry look at my father before he looked down at me again. "Let me show it to you then. Grab on."

I placed my hand in his and he clamped his palm shut over mine. He had a strong hold and actually made my fingers sting.

I had always hated roller coasters, hated that feeling of my stomach dropping out through my feet when the coaster hurtled downward. The city swung around me, blurred walls of glittering light. It might have been beautiful if I weren't so terrified. We banked and dived, Grandfather's hand was still firmly planted over my hand, and suddenly instead of rising I was falling.

I thought of the thing dropping me hundreds of feet through the air until I crashed into the icy black water. I shut my eyes—but falling through blind darkness was worse. I opened them again and saw the black deck of the ship rising up from below me like a hand about to swat me out of the sky. I screamed a second time as we dropped toward the deck—and through a dark square cut into its surface. Now we were inside the ship.

Instantaneous movement was like nothing I have ever felt before.

"Can you teach it to me too sometime mister?" I asked cheerily, exposing my front toothless smile.

"Grandfather." He corrected.

"Sorry."

He looked down at me, his grey eyes scowling. Gosh he was tall. "I'm disappointed that your father hasn't taught it to you yet. You are already five for goodness sake." He took me by my arm and yanked me up on the deck before he floated up himself. I absentmindedly rubbed the spot his bony fingers grabbed. I was going to be surprised with a giant blue bruise in the morning; I was sure of it.

"Mommy says I am six." I informed proudly, displaying the number of years out on my fingers. I could already count to thirty and write most of the alphabet and I wasn't even in school yet. That must be some kind of record for a kid.

He frowned as he looked down at me. "You had another birthday?" He asked surprised.

I nodded, making my full head of fudge-coloured hair fall across my face. Sometimes I had to remind myself that my hair couldn't be eaten, even if they looked like toffee. Most times my hair was already in my mouth when I realised that though, but what does Mommy always say? _Better late than never. _I remembered. "I have one every year."

He scoffed. "Then it is even worse than I thought." He threw his hands up in the air; it seemed like a happy gesture, but the expression on his face made me think otherwise. "You are already six and you don't know a thing about Ki yet." He shook his head slowly, making a weird clicking sound with his tongue as he did so. "A disgrace really."

"I know plenty about keys." I smiled. "We have one for every door in the house."

He shook his head. "I am talking about energy, boy. Look." We stopped walking and I stared up at him. A black ball appeared in his hand out of nowhere and he threw it on the ground. I thought it was going to bounce, but it didn't. Instead it exploded like a bomb. It was not like any ball I have ever seen.

"Did he show _that_ to you maybe?"

I shook my head slowly as I looked at the big hole in the floor of the boat. "He must have been busy." I said in a soft voice, mindlessly following my grandfather as he walked deeper into the deck of the ship. It looked like he knew exactly where he was going. "I haven't seen Dad in a while. He came back last night for the first time in a lot of days. He must be out hunting again."

Grandpa chuckled. "Is _that _what he tells you he's doing?" He asked but it didn't really sound like a question. "It is an interesting way to phrase it."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

He smiled down at me and I suddenly felt scared. "Your dad hunts a lot, doesn't he?"

I pulled my shoulders up. "I guess."

He nodded. "And by the looks of it, he takes his after-hunting frustrations out on you."

"He gets angry when I don't do what he says."

"He always had a bit of a temper."

"What does that mean?"

He stopped walking and we stood still on the big boat. "It means he gets angry really easily."

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"But you don't have to put up with his shit for much longer, kid. I feel a strong energy inside of you; we just need to bring it out to see how much it is."

I folded my hands over my chest. "You said a bad word." I declared. "That is not a very good example you are giving to a child."

He tilted his head to the side and laughed. "You never stop talking, do you?"

I frowned. "Of course I do; Dad says my tongue will fall off if I don't stop once in a while."

He chuckled again. "Indeed; your father is a very wise man." He pulled me with him and placed me in the middle of the deck while he stepped away a few paces to a door in the corner. "I want you to release all the energy you have inside you."

I squinted my eyes. "How do I do that?"

He laughed and knocked on the door. "He will show you."

A tall boy who was not wearing a shirt opened the door and smiled as he saw me. When I stared at his face for a while, I recognised him instantly.

"Cousin Raphael!" I squealed happily. Even though I didn't like him that much, it was nice to see a familiar face around here.

He frowned as he heard my voice. "I didn't realise we were testing little Reynard today."

"Yes." He let go of my hand and pushed me towards the tall boy. "But don't go too hard on him, he is only a young child after all." He looked at me again. "Just determine if he has a higher than average inner energy; don't push him."

The tall boy nodded. "Sure thing Grandfather." Grandfather smiled down at me, but it didn't feel like a happy gesture.

"Good luck." He said before he disappeared completely. My mouth fell open. How did he just do that?!

"Hey kid, listen up." Raphael said loudly, trying to get my attention. I turned my head to him. "I want you to look at what I am doing very carefully, and try to do it yourself after I am done." He placed his hands on his hips. "Okay?"

"Sure, but I won't do it if I don't feel comfortable with it." I said quickly, proud of myself for using such a big word, and knowing what it means too!

"Okay then." He closed his eyes and clasped his hands shut. He made the sound that lions usually made then. A warm feeling shot out of his body and it felt as if I were standing next to an open fire.

"This is what energy is all about Reynard." He breathed quickly now. "I want you to try it out."

"So I just keep screaming and you will know?"

He laughed. "Not quite." He kneeled down next to me, looking me in the eyes. "I want you to think about everything that makes you feel mad, scared, helpless and sad and then scream your lungs out." He poked my arm softly. "You think you can do that, buddy?"

"I don't know what makes me feel that way." I said softly, secretly wishing Richard was here; he would have known what to do!

He sighed loudly and sat on his knees in front of me, looking me in my eyes. His eye-colour was also grey, like mine. "Why don't you think about your father, I know he isn't a very nice man to you?" He suggested.

I looked to the ground, balling my hands into fists. "Do I really have to?"

His soft expression was gone and he stood up, towering over me again. "In this case, yes."

"Okay."

I thought about dad, but none of the emotions he listed came to mind. Another one, I had no words for, flashed over my body and I felt myself getting warmer the louder I screamed. I didn't know what I was doing, I felt rather silly while screaming like this for no reason, and Raphael made no move to show me that I was doing it right.

"You can stop now." He yelled louder than my cries and I stopped immediately, feeling grateful, and happy to sooth my sore throat.

"Did I do it?"

He chuckled. "Not even close." He said and folded his arms over his chest. "You are going to need a lot of practise, but I did manage to detect your energy level." He paused and pouted.

He got a weird look in his face and his eye twitched. Just when I was about to ask him what was wrong, he shushed me with his finger. "We have some visitors." He whispered. "Just be quiet and don't say anything." His face was very close to mine now. "You got it, small-fry?"

I nodded.

He smiled. "Good." He pulled on his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair which was almost the same colour as mine, only a little lighter.

His lips twitched up into a smile. "Good day to you too, baboons…"

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	3. Chapter 2: The Guard

_**Hey everybody! :D My apologies for not coming around to write an author's note for the previous chapter, but don't worry, I'm back baby! ;) **_

_**Pond-Centurion: This story's FIRST reviewer! *Tackles you with balloons and chocolates* I'm glad you sound so excited for this instalment; I will try not to disappoint! To answer your question, this occurs waaaaay before Gohan is born, we are talking hundreds of years! *Hope to hear from you soon! **_

_**SCStaff: The Loyal Corrector has returned! If that is how short your reviews are when I don't make typos, I'll have to start making mistakes! XD Thanks for your interest in another one of my stories, and YES, of course Draco will be in here too! :D **_

_**KaosMoshpit (twice! :D): Yeah, this is going to be a tough ride for Rey.. But we'll be here to see him through it! Great songs by the way, my playlist is growing with each of your reviews! :D I haven't checked out the tv show yet though, but I will let you know when I do! **_

_**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It gives a little backstory to Rey's birth and power and a lot of Ralphy moments! Let me know what you thought about it in the reviews! :D **_

_***Happy reading!**_**  
**

**CHAPTER 2: THE GUARD**

(Raphael's POV)

My heightened vision allowed me to catch a glimpse of the intruders' silhouettes. How unfortunate their symmetrical appearances were.

A tremor of irritation erupted in my body and spread through my veins like hot lava. As the feeling reached my hands, I balled them into tight fists, causing my long nails to dig into my palm. _What are they doing here?! _They weren't supposed to know about Reynard yet; he was our wildcard.

Absentmindedly I reached my arm back, grabbing my cousin by the shoulder and pulling him behind me, away from_ their_ preying eyes. He didn't resist and I could feel his heart hammer against my leg like the fluttering wings of a caged hummingbird. I looked down at him for a second, seeing that he was staring out in front of him with large eyes. He was clearly frightened, but he needn't be.

The brat may not know it yet, but inside him rests a vast amount of energy, yet untouched.

His birth was something of legend.

*Flashback*

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" The bloodcurdling screams of the fair young woman still in the prime of her life, ripped through the room in Grandfather's estate, which he especially crafted for this occasion: The birth of his fourth grandchild._

Her screams, while common among most females with the ability to birth their offspring naturally due to the excruciating pain and emotional stress during delivery, seemed unnerving and earth-shattering to the stunned trained doctors on duty. 

_It was odd to see one of the most passionate and hardened female warriors I have ever came to know, next to my Aunt Fleur, writhing and screaming, as if she was undergoing the most heinous beating of her life. It was uncanny that the mother of this soon-to-be-born child, Maria, would be injured severely by this procedure. _

"_Doctor!" The brunette nurse clothed in green scrubs called hastily. "The sedatives aren't working!" _

_A frown formed on the elderly doctor's forehead as he scanned some charts at the end of her bed. "We cannot use any more sedatives at this point; it might damage the foetus." He got a troubled look on his wrinkled face. "We are going to have to hold her down ourselves." _

_Everyone in the room collectively gulped. _

_The blonde burly nurse breathed loudly as she held one of Maria's arms with both of hers; across from her, the other nurse was doing the same, while two others held her legs respectively. Maria uttered another boisterous bawl, producing with it another stream of strong spasms which the nurses had trouble to keep under control. _

"_I can see its head!" The two nurses at the end of the bed shouted simultaneously. _

"_I have never seen such a violent response between a child and its mother." The doctor swiped the sweat developing on his brow with the sleeve of his white coat. He kept his hands poised, ready to catch the infant when it finally falls out. _

_I cocked my head to the side as Maria uttered her final scream of pain before she fell silent. I really didn't need to see a person coming out of another person. What a sickening thought. _

"_I have him!" The doctor called victoriously, and I turned my face back to the scene. I mentally blocked all the blood out and tried to get a look at the kid, but the medical staff was too busy with him for me to get a clear picture. _

"_Is.. it.. fine?" Maria gasped out of breath, still sitting upright in her bed. My gaze fell automatically on her as she spoke. I didn't realise how much of a struggle she had undergone until now as I noted her appearance. Her normally fair complexion had paled significantly through the process, and only now did the light return to her bright blue eyes. Her smooth hair had become matted and frayed upon the pillows she had been writhing upon, now soaked with a fine sheen of sweat, still beading off her whole body. _

_The doctor nodded. "It's a boy." _

_She fell back down into her array of cushions, the tears in her eyes sliding down her cheeks as a smile of relief finally washed over her fearless features. _

"_L-let me see my son." Maria spoke aloud, sitting upright as she stared expectantly at the doctors handing her baby. She extended her frail arms toward them. _

_The doctor smiled. "Here you go." He handed the baby over to his mother. His eyes were closed and a look of innocence crept onto his new-born features, keeping himself in a safe foetal position. He didn't even cry of shiver from the foreign elements._

"He is a flourishing boy, and despite his struggle, he doesn't seem to have any malformations or any other health problems." The doctor continued, nodding approvingly. "He is the picture of perfect health for any child." 

"_Thank you Doctor." Maria replied sweetly, not tearing her eyes away from her bundle of joy. "He is mine after all." She held the child close, embracing him in a loving and tender display. _

"_Grandson of the Master of the Dark Realm…" Grandfather spoke up for the first time. "He is destined to exceed every warrior of the new generation." He smiled wickedly. "Who knows; he may become ruler after my reign." _

_I shot my grandfather an incrudious look; that was the title he promised me! I stared at the child with a newfound hatred in my heart – he hasn't even been alive a full ten minutes, and he has already won more of my grandfather's heart, than I could ever wish to. _

_The doctor chuckled. "That's hopeful thinking." _

_I noted the sudden retracting of the sliding doors of the room out the corner of my eye. "I have faith in my son to be the strongest of us all." Wallick walked into the room; he wore a custom-woven uniform, with a black strap holding a crimson shoulder pad on his left arm. He had a much cleaner cut hairstyle than most of our kind, our hair grew quickly and savagely, and we had barely the time or energy to dispose of it, but his was short, much more militaristic. _

_His arrogant statement wasn't unjust. As son of the Dark Lord himself, he was born quite strong and with a lot of potential. On the other side, second to my aunt, Maria was seen as the strongest female of our race. Strong offspring would be inferred. _

_Instead of holding a teddy bear, like a normal father would as a gift to his child, he brought along a set of scouters, a technological advance we oh so secretly stole from the Saiyan Laboratories. _

_The medical staff began setting up the cart for the new-born to be travelled in, in preparation of storing him in a more appropriate room. Before the nurse reached for the child, Wallick put his arm in front of the baby, shielding him. _

"_My son has seemed to survive the procedure?" He spoke to the doctor pointedly. _

_The doctor seemed intimidated; his eyes were big and his pupils dilated. "Y-yes sir!" He managed out. "It was tough, more so than normal birthing standards, but he is the picture of perfect health." The doctor nodded, smiling proudly up to the taller and muscular warrior before him. _

"_Good." Wallick walked past the doctor, as Maria cradled their child, moving to her side with a compassionate smile on his face. Bending down he placed his hand to stroke his wife's sweat-matted hair. "You look tired." He noted. "Did our son give you a hard time?" _

_Maria grinned tiredly. "More than you think." She stroked the sleeping form of their child, rocking it slowly in her arms. "This little warrior gave me a scare." She admitted. "I thought I was conceiving a bear instead of a baby, when he put up such a struggle." She frowned. "It's strange that he is so still now." _

"_He probably didn't want to leave a place he cherished; I'm sure he will get used to his new world soon enough." _

_Maria nodded. "He must have been scared." She looked up at her husband. _

"_Through fear one gets stronger." He stated as he fastened the blue-screened scouter on his ear, securing it over his face. "This is the last time he will show that weakness in his lifetime." _

_Maria's blink-count increased as she stared furiously at her other half. "How can you say that?" She asked in a controlled voice. "Of course he will experience many fears as a child; it's normal! You certainly have been scared many times in your life!" _

_He shot her a look. "Exactly; he will be brought up as a better version of me." Maria made a sound but he ignored it. Instead he pressed the button on the side of the scouter, activating it. _

"_Let's see what we got here." He muttered under his breath, and everyone, even I, silenced, curious to see the outcome of his strength. I was born with a power level of 58, exceptionally high for a day old infant, and a well excepted display of power for someone of an elite status. _

_The device made electrical sounds as it turned on, and images flashed on the little screen. It made a beeping sound after a while of focussing on the baby. _

"_49." Wallick muttered, sounding a little disappointed. I couldn't help but smile smugly; my record hadn't been broken. I had to restrain myself from breaking out in dance in front of all my relatives. But my happiness was short-lived as the scouter started to beep again. _

"_Wait." Wallick said confused. "It's rising." _

_The beeping didn't subside and I could see the numbers increase at an alarming rate. Everyone gasped when the number exceeded triple digits. It stopped at 548 for five seconds before it rose again. A numb feeling spread through my entire body. The child was sleeping, but it was clear his energy was raging inside that calm posterior. _

_The numbers kept increasing on the screen. _

_1000. _

_2000. _

_3000. _

_4000. _

_5000. _

_6000. _

_7000. _

"_8000." Wallick finally muttered in disbelief. Everyone stayed frozen for a few more moments, to make sure he was done. He was. My eyes were wide inside my skull. It was unheard of for a child to be this powerful. I reached this level of strength first at the age of eight. _

"_Are we sure the scouter isn't defective?" I was first to speak. Everyone's eyes turned to me and I saw a few nod, muttering unheard thoughts under their breath. _

_Wallick turned the scouter to one of the nurses and pressed the button. It beeped almost instantly and Wallick took the device off slowly. "25." He stated surely. "It sounds about right." _

_This can't be… Everything around me silenced as I retracted deep into my thoughts. I was supposed to be the successor; my birth gave me the right to carry on our family's name. I was supposed to be the Destroyer of Worlds, like my father was, and his father before that. I wasn't born to be second in command. _

"_Have you decided on a name yet?" Grandfather pried, breaking me free from my internal abuse. _

_Wallick nodded. "One that, in its meaning, declares strength, courage and intelligence." He paused. "Reynard…" _

*Flashback*

He was born as one of the strongest infants our kind has ever seen. If he could be moulded into something with substance, he would claim the title of the Warrior who takes down worlds; the Destroyer... He could be the successor of our schemes.

He would have been much farther along by now, if his mother hadn't insisted that his training be postponed to the point where his strength is appropriate for his age. Grandfather didn't take that too well; for a child of his stature to be domesticated and educated before turning to battle, but Maria wouldn't budge. And as mother she had more right to her son's life than her male counterparts could ever dream to have. But that didn't change his unescapable lot. Someday he will be ruler of our dynasty; and his journey starts today.

If these bloody Magisterial Protectors could just stay out of our way!

The tall muscular man I knew all too well, shoved through his little crowd to the front. He walked closer to me, slowly, wearing a disgusted expression on his tanned face. He had wavy blond hair that fell to his shoulders and wide brown eyes. He was wearing a peculiar midnight-blue gi with chocolate brown boots and belt; but then again, they were all wearing that. I smirked at him and he cringed.

"I don't think you realize this Raphael, but monkeys are rather intelligent creatures. You are actually showering us with compliments with your fake insults." His booming voice proclaimed.

A half-smile coloured my lips as I met his gaze for the first time. "Your face has healed up nicely since our last encounter." I teased, ignoring his previous comment completely. "Just a shame for that nasty scar on your cheek."

He didn't seem very amused by my statement, and returned with an angry stare. "This is a beacon for my vision; destroying _you._"

I chuckled. "Your choice in vocabulary is very strong for this early in the morning." My expression hardened and I scowled. "I am stronger than all of you combined; remember that, just a friendly warning, I don't like playing with kids." I smiled viciously. "I must say, I'm rather surprised that you mongrels caught up to me."

Luna walked up to me as soon as I was done speaking. Her golden hair was restricted in a high ponytail above her head, showing off her grey eyes and high cheekbones. She too was dressed in the midnight-blue gi as her male comrade, hers just hugged her slender body more tightly and provided her chest with more cleavage. She was smiling, an expression that fitted on her pretty face like a glove. I felt Reynard's body tighten behind me when her footsteps became louder as she neared us. He hid his face in my pants, burying himself in its soft fabric.

"We cannot take all the credit,_ you_ finally came out of hiding again." The Princess of the Southern galaxy said with a smile, crossing her arms over her chest. "Feeling a little brave today, aren't you Ralphy?"

I growled and the girl's smile got bigger. "I was going to ask you the same thing, Moon bug." I sneered. "You must have a death wish, seeking me out like this."

"Or just a strong urge to bring justice to the world." Veronica said in a strong voice as she joined her fellow Protectors at the frontline. She was as gorgeous as I remembered her being. Her velvety black hair fell loose over her shoulders, like a charcoaled river flowing to the small of her back. Her wrists and neck were jewelled with gold, emphasizing her blue eyes; I smiled as my eyes fell upon the giant rock on her left ring finger, that's new. Her gi sat loosely over her petite frame, making her look frailer than she really was.

I pouted. "What an honourable mission; too bad it's unachievable."

"We'll see about that." Gailo's voice boomed. He shot forward at lightning speed, making the ship shake with his powerful strides. I froze as I realised Reynard was still behind me. I can't make a move without exposing the kid. I crouched down and raised my fists in front of my body. I was going to have to fight him right here.

When Gailo was a mere few metres away, Reynard whimpered. It was not a particular loud sound, but it seemed to reach everyone's ears. The head of the Magisterial Guard stopped in his tracks and stared down at me with a quizzical expression on his face. His eyes widened as he noticed the child behind me for the first time.

Gailo stared at the boy. Just stared. Nothing else, yet I could feel the boy's pulse beating on my leg. I blocked out all other sounds except the breath that was raggedly moving in and out of his mouth at regular, gasping intervals. I found that I too was staring. I could not take my eyes away from the other eyes across the room. Nothing else mattered. The connection had to be held, if it broke... if it broke he will pounce and Reynard would die.

I had never felt so certain of anything else in my life. I could no longer control my hands as worry filled my being; worry for the sake of the kid and worry for the sake of my reputation. They were shaking in an odd trembling rhythm as the colour drained from my face. Yet still I stared, willing myself not to run, willing the connection to hold.

"What are you doing to that child?!" Gailo was the first to speak. His voice was very gruff and manly. He crouched down and held his fists next to his body. I did the same, still not daring my eyes of him.

"He is bruised!" Veronica squealed. "That is low, even for you, you monster!"

"See what you did now, squirt?!" I sneered at the boy behind me softly. I wasn't particularly mad at him; I just wanted to let go of some inner unpleasant emotions, too bad he had to be nearest to me.

His grip tightened around my leg and I could feel how the blood flow to my limb was slowly starting to get cut-off. "I wish I could be more like Richard!" He wailed.

I frowned. "Who the hell is Richard?"

"My friend!" He snapped and looked me right in the eye, not blinking or looking away. He held my gaze angrily and I felt slightly intimidated. The feeling, however, was over quickly, and replaced with dismay as Gailo started talking again.

"Step away from the child Raphael." He ordered in a voice filled with authority. I stood firm and folded my arms over my chest stubbornly. The large man sighed. "I see you haven't changed; still the same asshole you were the last time I saw you."

I chuckled. "Tsk. Tsk. Careful there Gail, innocent ears over here."

"You probably robbed him of his innocence a long time ago!" He yelled. "Step away or I will pry your dead fingers from his body."

I clasped my hand tighter on Reynard's shoulder and laughed at the buffoon. "And do you remember how a similar strategy you had before turned out for you, Gailo?"

His eyes narrowed. "You escaped; you didn't fight, you ran, and that makes you a coward."

I shrugged indifferently. "I beg to differ; it makes me smart… And I don't want to waste my time and precious energy on you filth."

"Tough." He said loudly. "You are not going anywhere this time." With that he jumped forward with a cry and I had no choice but to shoot forward too, leaving Reynard behind.

(Reynard's POV)

I yelped when Raphael broke away from me, leaving me alone. I shivered as I saw him run towards the other very big man. We they reached each other in the middle, they disappeared. I couldn't even see them move. I tried looking up in to the sky, but there was nothing, I could only hear them hit each other.

I felt hands on my shoulders. "Are you alright, kid?" A girl's voice asked.

I frowned, not looking up at the person who talked to me. "Why are they fighting?"

They looked at each other before turning to me again. The girl with the black hair, blacker than the coal in our chimney, sat on her knees as she looked me straight in the eyes. Her eyes were a bright blue, very pretty.

"We are here to save you." She said softly with a smile. "We call ourselves the Magisterial Protectors, and we promise that we won't let that man lay a finger on you again."

"You may not know this little man, but that guy," the girl with the yellow hair pointed at Raphael, "is evil, he is a very bad man." She looked me over. "Frankly, you are lucky to still be alive."

"Luna!" The girl with the black hair scolded. It was the same tone my mommy used when I broke something.

"Well, it's true." She replied softly.

"I don't understand." I whispered.

The girl with the black hair grabbed my hand as she stood up. "Don't worry sweetie, you don't have to be scared anymore. Let's get out of here." She tried to pull me with her, but I stood still in my spot.

I yanked my hand away from her, she was a stranger after all. Mommy would have a fit if she knew I was holding a stranger's hands.

"No." I said loudly. "You have the wrong people." I pointed to Raphael. "He is my family and he isn't bad at all, his breath may be smelly sometimes, but that doesn't make him a crook."

Both their mouths fell open. "Let me get this straight, you are family of Raphael?!" She turned to the other girl. "I didn't know he had a son."

Raphael was next to me all of a sudden. "He is my cousin, idiot." His hair was messy and his body was filled with scrapes and bruises now. "Shame on you for thinking that I would have a child out of wedlock." He laughed. "Speaking of, I see you have a ring on your finger Veronica, when is the big day?"

The girl with the black hair frowned. "It doesn't concern you, so don't be expecting an invitation any time soon."

Raphael placed his hand on his chest, looking hurt. "Oh, how you are breaking my heart." He said happily. "And to think we were friends."

"We were never friends!" The girl with the yellow hair chipped in. "You played us all."

My cousin rolled his eyes. "Now whose fault is that exactly?" He asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "I would say it was nice talking to you, but I don't want to lie, so farewell." I felt some pressure on my shoulder and then the feeling of riding on a rollercoaster again. The last image I saw before everything was spinning, was the two girls trying to grab at me. Their last words rang inside my ears like an echo as we teleported back home:

"_We will get you." _

I don't know if they were talking to me or Raphael…

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Well that wraps up this week's chapter! :D Stay tuned for next week's chapter, it's gonna be juicy! _

_Don't forget to review; me likey feedback! _

_*Have a good week! _


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